Babe Ruth in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia: GrassRoutes

Babe Ruth: The Yarmouth Connection
Babe Ruth in Yarmouth Co. Nova Scotia
Part of http://www.yarmouthvillages.com

After many years of looking into the Babe Ruth Yarmouth connection I have received definitive information from Don Vacon, grandson, of Louis A Vacon, one of the guides. Thank you Don
(We are still collection information.. to anyone who has more)

Date: 2/9/2017

If you have any information on where and why and when this plaque was given to Babe Ruth we would appreciate your input. Thank you Plaque dated 1934

To: webmaster@yarmouth.org

From: birds <birds@airmail.net>

Subject: Babe Ruth Lobster
Hi,

I bought this at auction on Long Island NY in the early 1990s. Have always wondered if anybody in NS might recognize it? Perhaps it might be in some of the photo archives or mentioned in a book that you have? Thanks for your time...

Weldon Middlebrooks

Email: birds <birds@airmail.net>

Research on babe Ruth in Nova Scotia

Babe Ruth at the Carnival :: Pictou Historical Photograph Society

MacIsaac photographed baseball legend Babe Ruth during a visit to the 1936 Pictou Lobster Carnival. A Westville doctor invited Ruth to Nova Scotia, where the famous batter fished at Sherbrooke, golfed at Pictou and Halifax, and...
The first Lobster Carnival was in 1934

Date: 11/1/2012
Name: hazel vacon reinhart
Location: Fort Erie, Ontario
E-Mail: hazelreinhart@gmail.com

Comments: My father, William Ambrose Vacon was the "cookie" or assistant cook on his father's expeditions into the wilderness as a guide for hunters. I recall my father recounting that he and his dad, Louis Alexandre Vacon, were with Babe Ruth during one such trip.

Date: 7/30/2012
Name: Don Vacon
Location: Monson,MA.
E-Mail: bucktailvacon@hotmail.com
Comments: Hi,
I have a copy of the 1937 "Outdoor Life" article written by Bob Edge with my Grandfather
Louis A. Vacon guiding Babe Ruth [Babe in the Woods]Regards Don Vacon

Mr Vacon sent the following:
Click on the pages below for enlargement to read article.( picture for large or medium for screen size) (Thank You Don)


Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium

As a result of this new and more accurate information some of the names listed on the pictures below have been changed.

The article shows individuals who are not identified.
Page 3 bottom right hand corner Babe and Bill? basting a foul
Question is this Bill James the ball player?
link to bill james pictures = http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?102937-Detroit-Tigers-Team-Photos-Collection


Tony Lazzeri, Babe Ruth & Guide ? Bob Edge Babe Ruth Jack Matthews Circa 1935 Picture #1 Photo taken somewhere on Water Street, Yarmouth N.S.. If you know exact location please let us know. George Herman Ruth, Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948),	Identified as Jack Matthews If you know the name of the guide in this picture please drop me a line. We believe he is from Quinan Maybe: Peter or Louis Vacon Email: Webmaster. Thank you. In Subject line type Babe Ruth "Deadeye" Jack Matthews??

Any information that anyone has on Babe Ruth's trips to our area and the people
that he saw and likewise the individuals in these pictures will be greatly appreciated and enjoyed.

I am trying to confirm the following email comment:

#1.Comments: I came across this webpage (http://www.yarmouthvillages.com/babe/) requesting identification of a guide with Babe Ruth. I have the answer - it's not a local - it's "Deadeye" Jack Matthews, an avid hunter friend of Mr. Ruth's, from Stockton, NJ. I know this because my brother lives in the house Jack shared with the actress "Stella Dallas" (aka Mrs. Matthews). Let me know if you want more infromation.

Thank you for this information. Any more you have will be appreciated.

#2.
I found your photo posting while doing a google search. My uncle had a similar photo to the one you posted. I believe the guide was the gentleman sitting on the right. Jim ("Jim Mathews") Jim sent picture on the right.

Webmasters: My conclusion: With regard to the picture on the right.
1...Jack Mathews (same person who was on the right in picture above).
2. Babe Ruth
3. ( G. Hedley Doty) Photographer**
4. Bob Edge (same person who was on the left in picture above).

#3
From: "Jim Mathews" <jim.mathews@embarqmail.com>
To: <webmaster@yarmouth.org>
Subject: RE: BABE RUTH
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:38:45 -0500
The writing on the photo is faded and difficult to read. The photo was signed by Babe Ruth and given to Jack Matthews (2 Ts no relation to me). The message says:

To my friend Jack and wife, a good bear hug and his wife advice is the best thing for him
Babe Ruth

(Jack’s wife would routinely include notes, stuffed into pockets and gloves, with wifely advice for his trips)

My uncle believes the person you have as Tony Lazzeri is Bob Edge a sports and game writer for Outdoor Life magazine. My uncle says Bob did a story about this hunting trip for the magazine and this photo was used in the article.

My uncle says he has the name of the guide somewhere and will try to find it.

You can put my Email address on your site if you think anyone would be interested in contacting me.
Jim

Thank you for your letter Jim
On another part of my side I have the history of some of he guides of Yarmouth County.They were mostly from the Kempville area.
http://www.yarmouth.org/villages/kemptvil/history/

#4 January 15th 2010
*Spoke to Dave Warner ( owner of picture #1) and he is pretty sure that person #4 in the second picture( also person on left 1st picture) is Tony Lazzeri .If you notice on his left hand is a ring similar to that on Babe Ruth's hand. ( world series ring)

*AlsoDave is pretty sure that the quide is Gus Vacon. Person #1 in Picture #2 Then who is person # 3 in picture #2 Could this be Gus Vacon. To me he looks more like a local individual then the other three. (G.J.LeBlanc)
*Peter and Lewis Vacon, local Acadian Guides hosted Babe Ruth as he fished on the Tusket. (Source PDF)

Subject: RE: FW: BABE RUTH
To: "Godfrey J LeBlanc" <webmaster@yarmouth.org>

Looks good - I'll be interested to hear whether Jim Mathews' uncle,
Carl, comes up with the guides names. He keeps good records and hung
out with these fellows.
Alison

Subject: Babe Ruth Photos

From: Beth Latorre <bethlatorre2@gmail.com>

To: webmaster@yarmouth.org

Hi there,

I was just looking online at some pictures that you have posted here:

http://www.yarmouthvillages.com/babe/

On that page, it looks like people were trying to identify one of the males in the picture #3. This is my Grandfather, G. Hedley Doty. He was the photographer on the trip.

I do have more information and in fact some pictures that have never been published that were taken on this trip.

I am available here,

Thank you in advance,

Beth LaTorre

Picture #2 provided by:
From: jim.mathews@embarqmail.com
To: <webmaster@yarmouth.org>
Subject: BABE RUTH
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:50:19 -0500

1. Jack Matthews, 2 Babe Ruth, 3.G. Hedley Doty 4. Bob Edge

**Hi there,

I was just looking online at some pictures that you have posted here:

On that page, it looks like people were trying to identify one of the males in the picture, #3. This is my Grandfather, G. Hedley Doty. He was the photographer on the trip.

I do have more information and in fact some pictures that have never been published that were taken on this trip. I am available here, Thank you in advance, Beth LaTorre

Webmaster Comment: Thank you Beth

This is one of the places that Babe may have stayed when he was in the Yarmouth area. Birchdale
http://www.birchdalelake.com/lodge/lodge.htm

More information on Bob Edge
Bob Edge Collection: http://oldfilm.org/collection/index.php/Detail/Collection/Show/collection_id/107

Life [`Outdoor Life' magazine's brand-new conservation pledge. ... published in June 1941; `Babe's in the Woods,' by Bob Edge published in March 1938; ...(Source)]

Webmaster : Now that you say that I am sure you are 100% correct. Goes to show that a Google search can easily give false assumption. So I removed picture Thanks.

In picture #2 Person 4 is Tony Lazzeri

(Google pictures of Tony Lazzeri ) More pictures at previous link

"Tony" Lazzeri (December 6, 1903 — August 6, 1946)
Lazzeri died at age 42 from a fall caused, according to the coroner, by a heart attack in his Millbrae, California, home. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. Many believe Lazzeri's fall was actually caused by an epileptic seizure rather than a heart attack.[Source]

Tid Bits: George Herman Ruth Jr., a.k.a. Babe Ruth

On Feb. 6, 1895, George Herman "Babe" Ruth was born at 216 Emory St., the home of his
grandfather, Pius Shamberger. Babe lived in Ridgely's Delight for the first nine years of his life before moving to other parts of Baltimore.(S)

The Sultan of Swat was one of two children to survive infancy out of the eight Ruth siblings born in this house. Ruth lived on Camden Street "Baltimore" until the age of 19, when he was plucked by Jack Dunn from St. Mary's Industrial School, where he was affectionately labeled a trouble-maker of the highest order.(S)

During two seasons, 1920 and 1927, he hit more home runs (114) than any entire team in the American league, a feat never produced again by any other player. (S)

In Yarmouth, Babe Ruth boarded
at this home on Cliff Street.

In the autumn of 1936, Babe Ruth, who was a regular fishing and hunting guest in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, was introduced to the toller on a duck hunting trip. He was so impressed with the unique retriever, that he brought one back to the United States. They caught on some, but really gained popularity in the last 10 years or so. (S)
Picture Source www.BabeRuth.com

Babe Ruth fished here, guided by Peter and Louis Vacon, local Acadian-French outdoorsmen who hosted The Babe on his celebrated hunting and fishing trips in the Tusket area. In a community where story-telling is a favourite stoveside pastime, there is the oft-told tale of one of Babe's favourite wake-up exercises while ensconced at Billy Lovitt's nearby woodland camp. After an evening of cards, yarns and Jack Daniels, Babe and the guides would retire to be "up and at 'em" by dawn. The Babe, of course, would tiptoe outside at 3 or 4 a.m. and discharge both barrels of his 12-gauge Remington into the air. Out would spill the guides, Peter and Louis, swearing in French and struggling to get their pants and shoes on as they careened out of the doorway. Never a man to sleep more than a few hours at a time, Babe would then rack the shotgun, march back into the cabin and make everyone breakfast as they waited for the dawn, muttering to themselves as the big slugger grinned over the stove.(S).For complete story go to Source: River Log Against All Odds by Michael McAdam

As the season progresses the scene shifts and the rivers of the Eastern Shore start to heat up. By mid June salmon begin to ascend these rivers in good number and continue in spurts through until the end of September with each raise of water. The big river along this section of the Atlantic coast is the world famous St. Mary's - where Babe Ruth used to come to fish and occasionally to fall out of a boat. The legendary fishing guide Dan Macintosh invented and popularized one of the early classics of salmon dry flies, named appropriately, the MacIntosh. (S)

Now, for the old-time guides; I mention a few names but this is not complete in any way, shape or form. There was Blair Archibald in Stillwater here; Charlie Pye of Sherbrooke; Henry MacLean and his sons of Stillwater; Bill MacIntosh and a large family, all excellent guides; Tim McGrath; Walter Smith; and many others. We even had, as I mentioned before, some very notable people come and fish along the river and one of the greatest sports celebrities from the United States spent some time here and I am referring, in this particular case to the great Babe Ruth. His first trip here, I think, introduced him to what the older people remember as McKenna's Pictou Twist chewing tobacco for which he acquired a taste. Babe Ruth's career might have been considerably shortened had not one of our local guides, Dan MacIntosh, pulled him out of the Stewart Pool down here, early in May just as he was going by the end of the boat. I think Babe himself would never have made it. But anyway, he was taken back into the boat, had his stay here and went home with a goodly number of salmon and I don't think any of them caught by himself. (S)

Among the thousands of people he has served in small ways are celebrities in sport, politics, business and the clergy. Probably the best known have been in sports world and among these have been Jack Sharkey (Link), ex-world heavy-weight boxing champion, and the late Babe Ruth, baseball's immortal slugger, both of whom he knew personally and met with a shake of the hand whenever they landed here. (S)
Aside from being heavyweight champion in his own right, Jack Sharkey had the distinction providing the linear connection between two distinct eras of heavyweight boxing. Sharkey was the only man to fight both Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis. (S)

Picture Source Cyber Boxing Zone

HILL, Arthur James (Sonny) - 89, Yarmouth, died Monday, May 20, 2002, in Yarmouth Regional Health Centre. Born in Weehawken, N.J., he was the son of Georgianna Hatfield (Springhaven, Yarmouth Co.) and Henry E. Hill (Ohio, U.S.A.). After completing his education at Newton High School and Boston University, he returned to Yarmouth in 1937, to ranch mink and eventually open a popular restaurant and other tourist-related industries. The Snackerie Restaurant and Honey Hill Motel were Yarmouth landmarks for over two generations. He was a world-class hunter and fly fisherman, whose guiding expertise was sought by a wide spectrum of individuals including Babe Ruth and Arnold Palmer. After retirement he supported wildlife conservation and environmental causes and organizations. He is survived by son, Arnold, Marion, Mass.; daughter, Carole, Yarmouth; seven grandchildren.; two great-grandsons. Visitation in Sweeny's Funeral Home, Yarmouth. Funeral was Friday, May 24 in Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Yarmouth, Father Mel Langille officiating. Burial in Yarmouth Mountain Cemetery. (S)

	Link	Comment
1.	Babe Ruth’s Christmas	Letter from Michael Quinlan & Babe's last days
2.	Babe Ruth Museum
3.	Adam’s Outdoor Adventures	Some of the couverts have been hunted and first enjoyed by Babe Ruth and a generation later by Ted Williams.
4.	Babe Ruth History:	Chronological history and Babe Ruth quotes
5.	Video Biography

Other Famous Individuals to visit our lovely area

	Link	Notes
1.	Tuna fishing in Wedgeport	Arthur Irving, Franklin D. Roosevelt U.S. President, Zane Gray This is a picture of Franklin Rosevelt in Yarmouth N.S. Does anyone know any of the others in the picture.? Email: webmaster@ yarmouth.org

Research by
Godfrey J. LeBlanc
GrassRoutes Internet
www.yarmouth.org

Research on babe Ruth in Nova Scotia

Babe Ruth at the Carnival :: Pictou Historical Photograph Society

*MacIsaac photographed baseball legend Babe Ruth during a visit to the 1936 Pictou Lobster Carnival. A Westville doctor invited Ruth to Nova Scotia, where the famous batter fished at Sherbrooke, golfed at Pictou and Halifax, and... *The first Lobster Carnival was in 1934

MacIsaac photographed baseball legend Babe Ruth during a visit to the 1936 Pictou Lobster Carnival. A Westville doctor invited Ruth to Nova Scotia, where the famous batter fished at Sherbrooke, golfed at Pictou and Halifax, and...
The first Lobster Carnival was in 1934